Heritage Management and Accessibility to World Heritage Sites in Jordan: A Field Work Analysis Study of Petra

ABSTRACT

Accessibility for visitors to World Heritage Sites is an important issue in heritage management; therefore, accessing heritage sites has been seen as a sensitive issue and facing important criticism. This research is intended to examine visitor’s accessibility to World Heritage Sites by analyzing the context of cultural, physical, and financial accessibility. One aim of this research is to critically examine accessibility for tourists to Petra-Jordan's World Heritage Site. The purpose of the analysis is to provide an understanding of accessibility and of its opportunities and constraints in Petra. Empirical data was collected based on site field work at Petra involving a visual inspection of the site in addition to interviews with tour guides and tourists.‏ The findings of this study show that a shift in heritage management policy has been made from reactive approaches to a more functional approach, accessibility issues have not been completely addressed; the translation into action of practical comprehensive accessibility measures is full of both conceptual and practical difficulties. This research is the first of its kind conducted in Jordan and specifically aims at scoping accessibility at a national World Heritage Site.

KEYWORDS:

• Heritage management
• accessibility
• World Heritage Site
• physical accessibility
• financial accessibility
• cultural accessibility
• protection
• interpretation
• Petra
• Jordan

Acknowledgements

The author extremely thanks Dianne Fitzpatrick for her valuable inputs and her comments on an earlier version of the manuscript.‏

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Abdelkader Ababneh

Abdelkader Ababneh is currently an associate professor teaching at the Department of Tourism and Travel at Yarmouk University in Jordan and had also taught at the Department of Conservation and Cultural Resources Management at the same university. Ababneh holds a PhD in heritage interpretation, management and protection from the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, France. His research focuses primarily on cultural heritage management, protection and interpretation and cultural heritage tourism issues. He has a particular interest in the management of archeological sites. Much of his work lies at the nexus between the disciplines of archeological sites management and heritage tourism and the contribution of both to academic, professional and community action.